10:24 am, March 10, 2017
SOME car dealers are handling bad online reviews inappropriately, resulting in a damaged reputation and loss of potential customers, according to Dragon2000.
As online reviews become increasingly influential, it is essential that dealers handle bad ones in a professional manner, so they send the right message out to prospective customers, according to the company.
Karen McKenzie, operations manager, said: ‘Bad reviews are a fact of life and no dealership can keep everybody happy all the time. The important thing to remember is that potential customers will read how a dealer has responded to a bad review, as it gives consumers a clear indication of how complaints are handled.
‘If a bad review is ignored by a dealer, or they respond in an inappropriate or unprofessional way, prospective customers will understandably form a poor opinion of the dealership. How a dealer handles a bad review can be potentially more damaging then the review itself.
‘Online reviews bring a great opportunity for dealers to enhance their reputation online and convince potential customers to get in touch. In fact, reviews are one of the most powerful marketing channels to help drive sales. Reviews and star ratings give dealers ‘‘social proof’’ which helps car buyers refine their research and make quicker decisions about which local dealers they will contact.
‘Good reviews can also be used across all marketing channels including press, online and outdoor advertising; across social media and on dealer websites. Reviews can be very powerful, and if successfully incorporated into a Google AdWords campaign, they can help dealers to increase click-through rates and boost conversions.’
Dragon2000 has more than 20 years of experience, helping dealers grow their businesses. The firm’s software is used by more than 1,000 motor trade dealers and independent workshops in the UK and overseas.
DragonDMS is a complete dealer management system and the software is integrated with Sage50, enabling dealers to easily produce accounts reporting.
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